It's been an eventful year for Parkinson's disease research and the Parkinson's community, from the announcement of exciting new clinical trials to Michael J. Fox's return to television. See our top stories and catch up on the year's news below!
- 1.
4 Websites to Train Your Brain
Studies have suggested that adopting an “active cognitive lifestyle” can
help slow cognitive decline. At the least, brain games are fun and relaxing.
In our most popular post, we rounded up four websites with free quizzes, games and more that aim to keep your brain sharp.
- 2.
Learning to Laugh and Let Go: One Couple's Journey with
Parkinson's and DementiaBarbara Mendel shared her husband’s experiences with Lewy Body
Dementia, a condition linked with Parkinson’s disease. She was surprised to
find how little the Parkinson’s community knew about it, and now works to spread the word. But she was not surprised that she and her husband are
still able to laugh and have fun after his diagnosis. -
- 3.
Michael J. Fox Brings a Slice of Parkinson's Life to Television
This year, Michael J. Fox fans around the world received great news: their favorite actor was back on TV. People with Parkinson’s disease were especially excited to see Michael return to work and share daily life with the disease on national television.
- 4.
Nicotine Patches to Stop... Parkinson's Disease?
In January, a clinical trial launched exploring the potential therapeutic benefits of nicotine patches for Parkinson’s disease patients. People who smoke cigarettes are 60 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who have never smoked. Researchers hope to discover that nicotine patches will slow the disease’s progression.
- 5.
Susan Mollohan Isn't Taking Parkinson's Lying Down
Soon after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Susan enrolled in a clinical trial studying the impact of exercise on Parkinson’s disease progression. Since then, she’s written a book about the positive effects of yoga on her Parkinson’s symptoms called “My Story” and fundraises for Team Fox.
- 6.
'Better' Levodopa Would 'Mean Everything to Me'
Research is currently investigating better ways of delivering levodopa, the “gold standard” of Parkinson’s disease treatments that unfortunately brings with it several side effects.
- 7.
All-star Gala Raises Over $5.5M for Parkinson's Research
The highlight of this star-studded event was probably the rockin’ performance from Michael J. Fox and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Tina Fey, Dennis Leary and Ryan Reynolds also entertained that night.
- 8.
A clinical trial of a drug to treat cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) began enrolling its first patients in January 2013.
Little is currently available to treat this symptom, making this trial a hopeful announcement.
- 9.
4 Smartphone Apps to Help You Manage Parkinson's
Our social media community shared how they use their smartphones
to help manage their Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
- 10.
Parkin's Big Year: Four Newly-Released Papers Define the Structure of Key Protein Implicated in PDs
Closing out the list is another research-focused post, this one on various
discoveries surrounding Parkin, the protein encoded by Park2, a gene which has been implicated in a small percentage of cases of Parkinson's disease (PD).
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